The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-14
HOW TRAMPS LIVE.
Their Methods of Operation-A Reporters
Observations Of Their Success in Begging.

The coming of wintry weather brings to the
city the tramp-beggars with as much regularity
as it sends to warmer climes the birds of sum
mer. Already this improvident class of human
ity is beginning to appear in large numbers.
During the last two weeks the station-house has
sheltered an average of five per night. They
beg by day, and during the early part of the
night they stroll into the station house and ask
for lodging. The only bed they are furnished is
the hard floor of the ''tramps' ROOM" but it
seems to suit them. The room is always COM
fortably warm, and it is that attraction that
brings in the wanderers. Persons who
have been about the police station
a long while recognize among the
ing faces that have been reappearing in the
role for years They are professional
tramp beggars. They are never seen in the city
during the summer months. Then they go to
the country to ply their vocation. They start
upon their long tramp early in the spring, and
some of them travel thousands of miles
the beginning of fall. They usually travel in
squads. Generally half-dozen of spend
the summer together" said one, old-time tramp
at the station house the other night, he
making pillow out of his coat. preparatory to
laying down on the hard floor for his nights sleep.
I'VE have regular plan for operations In the
morning we determine upon q place will
reach by night and then separate, all taking
ing different routes. Whether are hungry
or not we always make 1T a point to stop at
every house. We do that to test the generosity
of the people along the route. When night
comes we reassemble and compare notes to
our success record has been kept of all the
houses where we have been fed given cloth
ing The next day if in hurry to
reach another part of the country may
turn to the point we left the morning before.
We simply swap routes, and the unSuspecting
farmers do not think that the second visitor has
been posted by the one who came before. If the
route proves to be good one we may work it
for several days, until each man in the SQUAD
has worked each of the routes first laid out be-
tween the two points. That is the plan we fol-
low through the summer. At night we sleep
upon the ground, unless it Is rainy weather, and
then it is easy to find some empty shed couIn-
try schoolhouse in which to get shelter"
These professional tramp-b eggars seldom ask
winter comes and they compelled to flock to
the city, they depend almost wholly upon the
begging of money to buy their food. Their
methods well known to the public Report
ers, who compelled to be upon the streets
much at night, perhaps encounter more of these
beggars than other people. The common plea
which has been addressed to nearly every per-
son, is: Mister please give me nicl1le to get
me something to eat; haven't had bite to-day"
or please, sir, will you let me have centss
have the consumption and have had nothing to
eat since morning" Those who make the con-
sumption plea generally have hoarse,
hollow voice, and their appearance
tell the truth. There are others
who only lack 10 cents of having enough money
to pay for bed, according to their story, when
in reality they perhaps have several dollars. 1t
is remarkable how many people caught by
the stories of the lazy vagabonds, and contribute
to their support Saturday evening a journal
reporter encountered a hungry-looSing beggar
on Washington street, near Pennsylvania. To
see how he piled his vocation, and how he
thrived. the reporter watched him for time.
In the course of twenty minutes a half dozen
persons had contributed money TO him in sums of
from to 10 cents. and during the evening he
must have made fair days wages. Women
seem to be the most susceptible to the plaintive
stories of the impostOrs Three out of every
ten will stop and ask something about the vag-
abonds condition. and then almost Invariably
make a small donation. If they had visited the
station house at midnight they could have seen
the same beggar. with six others of his like,
stretched upon the floor of the big room devoted
TO tramps-a strong healthy man. fully able
to make a living by honest labor
The question has been raised whether not the
station house should shelter these vagabonds
So far as the officers able they do bar out the
old chronics, but It is hard thing to do. After
a tramp has been coming for lodging regularly
fora week or more, if he is recognized, he is
charged with being a vagrant and is sent to the
work house. The p olice cannot afford to refuse
lodging to the many who apply for it, because
many really unfortunate strangers apply for a
Mace to SleeD